Nostalgia
by Hazel Blackwood
Summary: (AU) Oneshot, before the War of The Best, SaboAla influenced. Sabo, Koala and Hack visit Goa Kingdom to find clues about Sabo's childhood. When a man approached him and claimed to be his brother, he was left with questions and wants them answered during this visit.


**A/N: Welcome to another One chapter story about Sabo! This one if SaboAla influenced and takes place in Goa Kingdom.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Nostalgia**

''Then we will dock the ship here and wait for you three to return.'' Bunny Joe, a fellow soldier of the _Revolutionary Army_ answered.

Sabo nodded once and jumped off, followed by his teammates Koala and Hack. As rumors suggest, _East Blue_ really was the calmest sea. When she stepped onto the dry soil and took a good look around she noticed how much at peace she suddenly felt. They had a rather easy voyage with only a few obstacles. The sea didn't really feel like trying to ruin sailors lives it seemed.

This island or rather a country was called _Goa Kingdom_. It was known for its peace and only little information was known to the _World Government_ about it. Today, the three man team decided to visit this place because all Dragon knew about Sabo was that this was his birthplace. They hoped he would find a clue to his past memories here.

It was a rather rare occasion for Koala because she wasn't used to Sabo being like this. He normally didn't care too much about his past, only that he didn't want to go back here. He met someone however who claimed himself to be his brother. This triggered something inside him that made him question everything.

He needed answers now.

Sabo has been disorientated and confused. Now, he looked confident again, a look she loved and cherished. She felt at ease whenever he was his confident self. It made her worry less and over think less. Seeing him suffering.. She couldn't even begin describing how that made her feel.

As usual, Hack was the collected one, trying to be their 'chaperone' even though Sabo and Koala were already able to take care of themselves. They were young adults now after all. Though, neither always acted like it..

Staring into the woods ahead he scanned the area. She knew this meant he was lost in his train of thoughts and by poking him once he looked down at Koala, who was a lot shorter than both the men. ''Ready?'' She asked him with a smile on her face.

Sabo nodded sternly and took a deep breath. ''Let's start with the city.''

From far away it was already plain in sight. The kingdom _Goa_ , a prosperous country existing of several layers in their society: The criminals, poor people, commoners and lastly, the nobles. The nobles lived in a closed district, unable to be approach by commoners. The doors were always closed unless you were there for important business or a summon from the king.

The Revolutionaries' leader was planning to take over this kingdom, but was awfully careful with it.. For whatever reason, it almost seemed as if he didn't like approaching this part of _East Blue_. Koala never found out why and her curiosity had been nagging her for a long time, but he wasn't one to talk about himself.

Koala followed Sabo and Hack quickened his pace until he walked besides her, carefully looking around. What did he think of this country?

As they paced through the woods none of them spoke much. They were mostly following Sabo, who hesitated a few times, then decided to go a certain way.

Sometimes, she wanted to speak up and ask him questions about what he was thinking, feeling or what he wanted to do, but his look told her he wasn't in the mood. Sabo never really talked about himself all these years she knew him. He shared that habit with their leader, which was always frustrating for her because she always craved for more information.

At some point, they reached the end of the woods and entered a place that was a trash dump. In the distance she spotted other men in tattered clothes searching through piles of trash. The smell that rose from this dump was disgusting but she slowly got used to it. This was how people entered this kingdom? By walking through a trash dump?

These questions formed inside her mind as they reached the tall and thick walls where the doors made of steel separated the dump from the districts.

Sabo stopped before the doors and turned around. With a confused look he scanned the dump.

Could she ask him now? Wouldn't he find it annoying? He was so lost in his own thoughts.. he seemed so insecure.. Again, it was something she wasn't used to and it made her hesitate what course she should take now.

He opened his mouth once as if he was about to say something but closed it. His fists were clenched and hung loose with no idea what the younger man was supposed to do with them.

''Sabo..'' Hack started but Sabo shook his head, his eyes turning slightly serious before his emotions radiated his thoughts returned.

''Nothing..'' He muttered in a whisper. Turning around again, he wanted to take a step forward but stopped again. She remembered Ivankov telling her all Sabo knew from his childhood was that he didn't want to go back to his parents no matter what.

''If you don't want to go..'' She started but again, he gave her a meaningful look. He didn't want to go indeed, but he had to. If this was tied to his past and he could get answers here, then what choice did he have? He didn't want to run from his past any longer.

Koala took a deep breath and stepped forward. Placing her hand on his upper arm, she looked up at him. ''We're with you.''

That made him smile a little and Koala couldn't help but be happy she triggered a positive emotion from him in this condition. He blocked out his previous life for years, even after he met the man called Ace, who claimed to be his brother, because it terrified Sabo. He would never admit it with words, but his expression said more than a thousand words and it was all the three man team needed from each other.

Hack stepped forward too and after patting him on his shoulder Sabo made his decision final and stepped into the poorest district of the country.

As expected of a poor part of a country hoodlums, gangs and playing children filled the streets. 'Business' was done in the side streets, the shadows of this district. The buildings existed mostly of small and tall apartment flats with washing lines connecting the buildings across from each other.

Koala was still gazing at the scene before her which showed a big difference between the dump and poorest district already when Sabo suddenly took her hand. He intertwined their fingers while looking straight forward.

He was staring at the richest and closed district. The nobles' part of the kingdom. The palace was visible from here showing a clear difference.

She took a step closer to her partner and looked hesitantly at Hack. He was the first to walk forward to encourage the younger two but Sabo's voice stopped him.

''The _nobles' district_.. We need to go there.'' His face looked pale and Koala was left guessing what his current thoughts were.

''Are you sure?'' She asked in return without thinking about it first. It made sense. Dragon mentioned he was from a wealthy family, so she expected Sabo to go to the second district, that of the commoners.

''Yes, there's so much.. hatred coming from that place. I don't know how else to explain it.'' He narrowed his eyes as he still looked at the highest and farthest part from here.

Koala didn't know how amnesia worked or what it even felt like. All she could confirm the past years was that Sabo sometimes had a strong feeling, like guts about something and learned to trust these instincts he had.

''But are you sure you should go there then? I mean.. if you hate it so much already..'' It was futile to try but he did show a flicker of his insecure side on his face.

''Koala, please don't..'' He pleaded, looking at her.

''Come on, then.'' Hack urged calmly with his arms crossed. ''We need to come up with something to enter that place if you want to find anything there.''

They nodded at the old fishman and followed him. Passing the streets she left the conversation for what it was. Sabo caressed her hand with his thumb occasionally however which made her question who should be comforting the other.

All three of them were wearing cloaks, Hack to mask his skin since he wasn't exactly human and Sabo and Koala just in case. It did make them look more suspicious, especially when they reached the second part of the country. Here, wealthier people lived. Average families strode through the city where one could shop for clothes, eat and drink in any kind of restaurant or pass time in the parks nearby.

There were also rich people around and sometimes even a noble passed by. Apparently, everyone from the country gathered here. The three Revolutionaries received quite a few glances from people. Some were suspicious, others were curious and some even looked at them as if they were strange criminals, which was kind of funny, since they were actual criminals according the law.

They finally reached the biggest and thickest walls of the kingdom and Sabo's steps became more and more hesitant as they approached the huge doors.

One of them was open and three people stepped through. A boy who looked like he was slightly younger than her and Sabo had the typical look a nobleman should have. He had a brown bob haircut with an arrogant look in his eyes. A golden broche that marked his family symbol was tied to a dark brown double-breasted waistcoat. He was wearing a white blouse with long sleeves tucked into his brown pants. His leather shoes ended in a sharp point that ironically enough, could be used as a weapon. It was that sharp.

She was used to wearing suits since it kind of became a dress code at the Headquarters to pay attention to the way you appeared in the office. She didn't really like this noble's style though..

The young man was guided by two bodyguards who both wore black suits. Looking around as if he owned the world his gaze fell upon the trio. They didn't look really 'acceptable' in this part so it was obvious he had that disgusted look before he moved on.

Opening her mouth and looking up at her partner so they could try and slip into the _Nobles' district_ she noticed Sabo had a really troubled expression now. His hand was sweaty and his other was shaking slightly. He clenched his jaw several times before closing his eyes in frustration.

''As Koala told you already, you don't have to do this Sabo.'' Hack rested his hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down. The both of them understood what made it so hard for him. ''Maybe some things are better to be left unknown. Maybe the hatred you feel is there for an important reason. You already left this life behind once, let me ask you again: Are you really ready for this?''

One of the guards that guarded the wall made their way to them. None of them paid much attention to him since Sabo's situation was currently much more urgent. If this happened every few minutes, then was it the right choice to do this now? They did it in a rush, hoping this would ease his confusion, but it seemed to get worse for him only, which made her feel guilty in return.

''I don't want to run Hack..'' Sabo muttered with his eyes still closed. His face was pale and he looked like he could get seriously sick any moment now.

''Sometimes you have to know when to wait for another time, the right time.'' She had the feeling he left out the words: Giving up on purpose. It would only make the Chief of Staff feel worse.

''It's alright, Sabo. We understand.'' Koala added soothingly. She was now the one who was comforting him by caressing his hand with her thumb.

Sabo slowly nodded, opening his eyes and shooting one more confused look at the young noble man who was now disappearing from view. ''I.. Can we go to the forest?''

Neither Hack nor Koala wanted to ask further questions as to why he made the sudden decision but nodded in response, leading him out of the city, back to the trash dump and then finally, into the forest.

Some of the weight of the kingdom fell off her it seemed as she took in the smell of the soil, plants and trees. Sabo went on ahead, wanting to be alone for a while to organize his thoughts again and thus left Koala alone with her mentor.

She didn't notice she was absentminded when Hack spoke up. ''He's getting farther away. Do you think we should follow him?''

Startled, she jerked her head up and scanned the area. He had Observational Haki, a form of power that allowed you to observe your surroundings, even if you didn't see them. He really was keeping an eye on them all the time..

''Will we catch up with him in time? Bunny is waiting for us after all. We should return soon.'' Koala answered. ''I'm worried about him, Hack. Sabo, I mean.'' She looked up at the man who had guided her, even raised her to become who she was today. Sometimes, she still felt like a child searching for reassurance from their parent.

''I'm sure he knows what he does. Amnesia is something not even doctors can get a good grasp of.'' His vague answer made her curious side want to ask further questions but she held herself back, trying to reassure herself with his words.

Sabo would be fine in the end right?

Both started running, Koala following Hack since he knew where their partner ran off too.

* * *

Hack stopped in front of a tree where a rope ladder was attached to a branch. Looking up she saw why the rope was there. A tree house was built in the tree. The way it was built was very creative. It was round, built around all the branches, using the tree to its full potential. It looked old however as the moss indicated and twigs and leafs made their way inside. It was a sign it hadn't been used for a long time.

She questioningly looked at her mentor who confirmed her thoughts. She carefully climbed the tree, afraid the rope might not be able to hold her and took slowly step by step to climb upwards. When she reached the entrance, she noticed an almost invisible string ten centimeters above the floor. It most likely served as a trap for unwelcome visitors.

Scanning the inside of the tree house she saw Sabo sitting in-between objects that were used by whoever used to live here. Wasting no time, she rushed over to her Chief while the floor cracked, complaining it was fighting to hold their weight here.

''S-Sabo..'' She whispered hesitantly. He had his legs pulled up and his face in his arms. His entire body was shaking and when he looked up at her startled he looked terrified.

His expression turned grateful and Koala wrapped her arms around him, making his head rest on her chest. Something she didn't have to experience for a long time, like so many other emotions he showed them today, was wetting her blouse.

He was crying.

He didn't say anything yet, nor did he seem to want to, she simply allowed him to let his tears flow, his body still shaking, him sniffling and holding her with a tight grip while at the same time trying not to hurt her.

He never stopped caring for others, did he?

Koala caressed his blonde locks making hushing sounds, hoping it would calm him down a little. Even though they didn't get to see much of the country, it still left a huge impact on him. He was completely crumbling down..

At some point his body stopped shaking and his sniffling stopped too. He didn't look up however which was fine by her. He did start talking which showed her he managed to calm down indeed.

''This house..'' He muttered with a muffled voice. As Koala looked around she noticed several things. Three small sleeping bags for children were folded against the wooden wall along with a hanging fishnet with three red cups in them. These were the things that stood out the most and revealed a lot in itself already.

''Three people lived here. Children, I suppose. They did quite the marvelous job, didn't they?'' She asked with a pleased tone. Resting her cheek on his head, she didn't stop caressing his hair, wanting to comfort him as much as possible and distract him a little from his panicked state.

''It feels familiar.'' He replied with a steadier voice now. ''It feels so warm.. I don't know what to do with this, Koala..''

As much as this confused her too, it was nothing compared to what Sabo must be feeling right now. Not being able to hold back, she asked a question that's been on her mind for years. ''What does it feel like.. Not remembering anything but feeling these strong connections to parts of your past?''

His grip tightened slightly as she realized she hit a nerve. This was probably something he was trying to figure out himself.

''My mind is empty. It's a black void and only sometimes a feeling slips through. It always comes unexpected and it scares me.'' He moved his head a little. ''When I try to get a grasp on it, it slips back into that void again. It makes me so angry, Koala. How am I supposed to get answers this way?!'' His voice became harder and she wondered whether she should've asked it. It did give her a better idea of what went through his mind in these situations. Hoping Hack would climb up too, since he expected them to want to be alone, she thought for a moment what to say next.

''Did Ace change your mind?'' She knew the answer to that, but she blurted it out suddenly. The Ace guy managed to trigger Sabo in ways no one, not even Koala or Hack, were able to do. He completely changed his mind set, confused him and awakened something inside Sabo that wouldn't easily back down.

Sabo had found peace with his amnesia. He was fine with not knowing about his previous life. After Ace found him however, that all changed.

Right now, a confused boy who was searching for reassurance, just like Koala had with Hack earlier, was cuddling with her, trying to voice his feelings, which he never did before.

A small nod confirmed her question and Koala voiced her next one. ''Sabo, don't be offended by this, but did you think this through properly? I know situations like these are always unexpected, but to me, it doesn't look like it's improving your current state. I see someone that's been hurt by this..''

He slowly looked up, tears and snot on his face and gulped. Koala took a handkerchief she always kept with her and gently cleaned his face. He closed his eyes at the touch and didn't respond until she was finished.

Opening his eyes he gazed at her. Shaking his head slightly, he admitted he didn't think this through indeed.

Sabo had always been one to do everything in a rush. Whenever he felt like doing something, he'd go for it. He'd gotten them into trouble many times, but this time she couldn't blame him at all. In fact, she felt sad for him. Sad he had to go through. She understood why he wanted to do this in the first place. She understood why he wasn't so confident any longer about that decision he made.

''It wasn't a mistake, Sabo. It wasn't a mistake to want to find out. You have to keep in mind though, that this is something you can't easily solve. Any other person would feel just as confused and angry as you are now. You still have a long way to go.. You can always decide to come back later.'' She hoped she used the right words and he would interpret it the way she meant to say it.

He took her hands and Koala looked down at them surprised. He followed her gaze and smiled a little. ''I can't imagine better companions than you two, you know.'' He said, his voice now confident again. ''Thank you.'' He bent over and kissed her forehead. Standing up, he pulled Koala up with him and embraced her in a hug.

She gladly accepted it and wrapped her arms around his waist. A loud thud startled the both of them when Hack grunted.

And it wasn't only Hack that was complaining..

The floor of the tree house was slowly showing more and more cracks. Hack fell for the trap and fell. This caused the wood to give in to their weight. Wasting no time, all three of them jumped down onto the ground not wanting to ruin this precious tree house that held a dear nostalgic meaning to Sabo, even though he didn't know what it was right now.

He would hopefully, and peacefully, find the meaning of this all later.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please do leave your thoughts in a review!**


End file.
